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J. F. ROM ER. CURTAIN FIXTURE.

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NTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE F. ROMER, OF BUFFALO, NEV YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MELVIN F. WARREN, OF SAME PLACE.

CU RTAIN-FIXTU RE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,8 18, dated November 4, 1890.

Application filed July 9, 1890. Serial No. 358177. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JESSE F. ROMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Curtain-Fixtures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of curtain-fixtures in which one end of the curtainroller turns on a spindle which is held stationary in its bracket and connected with the curtain -roller by a spiral spring which is strained when the curtain is lowered and which Winds up the curtain upon drawing it down a sufficient distance to release the stop mechanism of the roller from the stationary spindle. After the stop mechanism has been released by pulling down the curtain and the curtain is allowed to rise to arrest it, it is desirable that the stop mechanism should interlock with the spindle with as little lost motion as possible, and to accomplish this result two pawls or catches have heretofore been employed, which arrested the roller at every half-turn thereof.

The object of my invention is to produce this same result with a single pawl or catch, so as to simplify the construction of the iixture and reduce its cost.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a fragmentary sectional elevation of a curtainroller provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a sectional end view thereof, showing the pawl4 interlocked with the rear stop of the spindle. Fig. 3 is a similar View showing the pawl released from the rear stop. Fig. 4 is a similarview showing the pawl in the position in which it is about to engage against the front stop of the spindle. Fig. 5 is a similar View showing the pawl interlocked with the front stop. Figs. 6, 7, and S are cross-sections of t-he spindle,showing variations in the rela` tive angle of its stops.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents the roller to which the curtain is attached; b, the metallic plat-e secured to the end of the roller, preferably by a ferrule b; C, the chamber formed in the end portion of the roller, and D the spindle arranged with its inner end in a bearing in the chamber C and near its outer end in a central opening in the plate b.

E is the spiral spring surrounding the spindle within the chamber C and secured at one end to the spindle and at its other end to the roller in a well-known manner.

The spindle is seated with its flattened end in the bracket F, and is provided on the inner side of the bracket with two stop faces or shoulders g and 7L, arranged, respectively, on the rear and front sides of the spindle. The rear stop g is preferably arranged at an angle of from forty-tive to sixty degrees to the horizontal, and the front stop h is preferably arranged horizontally, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5. These stops are preferably formed by recessing the spindle, so as to leave an angular web.

I represents the pawl, dog, or catch, pivoted to the end plate t and provided with a shoulder fi, which is adapted to engage against one or the other of the stops of the spindle, so as to hold the roller against rotation in the direction in which the curtain is wound up, while permitting the roller to turn in the opposite direction. The ferrule b preferably projects beyond the end of the roller, so as to form an annular rim, which limits the outward movement of the pawl.

The pawl is provided beyond its shoulder with a cam or inwardly-curved extension j, which 'rides over the outer edges of the stops of the spindle and in connection with the heel prevents the pawl from falling inwardly against the rear side of the spindle and binding against the same when the roller rotates so slowly that the pawl is not held outwardly by centrifugal force. Vhen the curtain is restrained in its movement for the purpose of locking it, the pawl engages with its shoulder against the upper side of the front stop h, as represented in Fig. 5. If the curtain is not quite as low as desired, it can be lowered a less distance than a complete revolution provides for and be locked in position by pulling the curtain down until the shoulder of the pawl has passed downwardly beyond the rear stop g and has dropped inwardly below the same, when by allowing the curtain to rise the short ascending movement of the pawl causes the shoulder of the latter to engage IOO against the rear stop, as represented in Fig. 2, and so lock the curtain. The locking of the shoulder against the front stop is insured by the heel or point of the shoulder of the pawl striking lthe upper face of the front stop at a considerable distance inwardly from the outer edge thereof.

By providing the spindle With two stops, as described, the roller may be twice arrested in every turn by a single pawl, thus accomplishing with one pawl a result which has heretofore required two pawls and rendering the fixture simplerand cheaper.

While I prefer the arrangement of the stops represented in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5, their relative angle may be varied Within certain limits without impairing the operation of the fixture or departing from my invention. For example, one of the stops may be horizontal and the other perpendicular, as represented in Fig. 6, or one face may be vertical and the other arranged at an obtuse angle thereto, as represented in Fig. 7, or one face may be nearly horizontal and the other inclined at an obtuse angle to the same, as shown in Fig. 8.

The shoulder of the pawl is preferably in- @lined toward the pivot or cut at an inwardlyreceding angle, as shown in the drawings, which effectually prevents the pawl from becoming released from the spindle, when the xture is out of its bracket, for instance, by rough handling or by the jarring incident to transportation.

I do not wish to claim in this application a pawl provided with an undercut lockingshoulder, because that feature is claimed in an application for patent filed by me December 26, 1889, Serial No. 335,003.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination, with the stationary spindle provided with a front stop and a rear stop, of a curtain-roller provided With a movable catch or pawl adapted to engage against the rear stop during its ascending movement and against the front stop during its descending movement in rotating With the roller, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the stationary spindle having stops arranged at an angle to each other, of a curtain-roller turning upon the spindle and having a pivoted pawl provided with a ,shoulder adapted to engage against either of said stops, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the stationary spindle having a horizontal front stop and an inclined rear stop, of a curtain-roller turning upon the spindle and having a pivoted pawl provided with a shoulder engaging against said stops, substantially as set forth.

Titness my hand this 7 th day of July, 1890.

JESSE F. ROMER.

Witnesses:

CARL F. GEYER, ALICE G. CONNELLY. 

